Sourav Ganguly supported Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni’s request for a pay hike for Indian cricket team players.(PTI)

Former Indian cricket team captain Sourav Ganguly has supported Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni’s recent requests to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for a pay hike. Speaking at a city event on Thursday, Ganguly said the current players deserved to be looked after given the money they rake in for the Board.

“If the board (BCCI) is making so much money then why shouldn’t the players get paid more? Look at Virat Kohli for example, when he is on the field the whole country is watching. Players should be very well looked after because the life span for a cricketer is only 15 years. Not many play for 15 years and very few play for 20 years. So I am a big supporter of that (pay hike),” said Ganguly.

“I think the manner in which the BCCI looks after the player is phenomenal. I have actually seen the entire circle. When I played in Australia in 1991, I got paid Rs.30,000 for that entire trip. But when I finished in 2013 I could see the drastic change,” said the 45-year-old.

“Virat is the captain, if he sorts the issue out with the board, it will. I don’t see much problem in there. I think they should clear it out before going on tours. It isn’t difficult to sit down and talk about this and clear things,” said Ganguly at a city event on Thursday.

“Cricket was played a lot more even then (Ganguly’s time) so it’s okay. All the players are playing well. They all are hitting centuries, Virat is in top form. So it’s okay, let them play,” he added.